Tips on how to approach special days as a separated parent

Special days such as Birthday’s, Mother’s Day and Fathers Day’s in children’s lives (and their parents), can be difficult, especially for parents who no longer live together.

Here are some things to think about in relation to those special days:-

  1. It is not necessarily the day on which an event is celebrated but the way that it is celebrated.

  2. If you need to meet the other parent at changeover, then the only thing you should discuss is how wonderful your children are. That is one thing you can both agree on. Do not discuss anything else at all at changeover.

  3. Check with the children’s school/ kindergarten to see if there is any particular event of which you should be aware for the special day.

  4. Doing things together is the most important thing:- what did you enjoy as a child ?

  5. Allowing your children to celebrate special events allows them to be complete with you.

Overall in the future what will be remembered is how the child felt not the day on which it occurred. Organizing well ahead of time for special events also avoids the possibility of there be difficulties with organizing arrangements.

We hope these tips help you and your children.


Author: David Edney, Accredited Specialist in Family Law & Independent Children’s Lawyer

kate liscombe